UC San Diego says it is close to getting final permision from Chile to place a telescope in the Atacama Desert that would help scientists study the origins and evolution of the universe.

The Polarbear telescope will be used to search for gravational waves that were produced when the universe was undergoing extraordinary expansion not long after the Big Bang.

Scientists believe that this signature will help them explain the basic physics of the early universe, and confirm their theory that rapid expansion occurred.

“The telescope is already in Chile near the site,” UCSD astrophyscist Hans Paar said in an email. “The assembly of the telescope is expected to start around the middle of May ...”

Scientists are expecting ‘‘first light,’’ or the initial readings from the microwave telescope, in mid-July. Polarbear was tested last year in the Inyo Forest, east of Bishop.

The telescope is scheduled to be placed at an elevation of 16,500 feet in the Atacama, the driest desert on Earth. NASA says there are parts of the desert that have not received rain in human history. The dry weather helps make the desert a preferred location for astronomy.

Paar and UCSD astrophysicist Brian Keating are helping to lead the Polarbear project, which also involves scientists from other institutions, including UC Berkeley, the University of Colorado and the Japanese High Energy Research Organization.